The Davis Art Center's Atrium at 1919 F St. will reverberate with experimental sounds next month when San Francisco-based artist Ted Vasin gives a sound performance in conjunction with an exhibition of his artwork in the Tsao Gallery.

The exhibition featuring colorful and geometrically precise paintings accompanied by site-specific sound installation opens Friday June 26 and continues through July 25. The live sound performance takes place from 8 to 8:30pm during the Second Friday "ArtAbout" Reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 11.

Sound-enhanced art installations have proliferated in the past decade as contemporary artists and performers have explored the use of music, voice, sound effects and ambient noise to inform work in other media.

In this vein, Vasin uses an array of electronic instruments along with other effects to create a pre-recorded aural texture reflective of the mood and aesthetic experience of his visual art.

Curator Laura Steward Heon, in SITE Santa Fe, notes that "Vasin's paintings based on digital sketches are full of energy that comes from their colors and imaginative forms on the almost horizon-less canvas. The mathematical precision of the paintings intuitively relates to the accompanying sound episodes. The juxtaposition between the imagery and sound makes the work feel dream-like and familiar."

In live performances, Vasin's sound compositions are fluid and improvisational, reflecting the interplay of spatial qualities, the mood of the audience and the artist's state of mind.

"When we saw the Art Center's atrium we knew it would be a fantastic place for Ted to perform," McEvily said. "It's a large space and the acoustics will be really good. It will magnify the energy coming from the audience and that will feed into his creative process."

The current exhibit was recently displayed at San Francisco's Limn Art Gallery and Vasin also has shown at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, the De Young Art Center and Pacifica Center for the Arts. We're pleased to present this innovative and interdisciplinary work, and hope local artists and art lovers will join us for the reception on July 11 to meet Vasin and hear him perform while taking in the art exhibit.